Pinnacles National Park, California, United States Jan 16, 2025

Jagged pinnacles and spires, monoliths and unusual caves—welcome to Pinnacles National Park in central California, United States. It all began in 1908 when President Theodore Roosevelt designated the area as a national monument. Later in 2013, Pinnacles earned its status as a national park. This land owes its formations to an ancient volcanic eruption that occurred 23 million years ago. The fiery beginnings made towering spires, cliffs and talus caves—created by falling boulders wedged into narrow canyons. Over millennia, tectonic forces shifted the landmass northward, leaving the park far from its volcanic birthplace. Talk about a journey!

© yhelfman/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Scenic Mount Michener
Jan 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Jan 16, 2026Leopard at Etosha National Park, Namibia

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Oct 28, 2023Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Mar 24, 2025African elephants in Namibia
Oct 1, 2024Yosemite National Park, California, USA
Frosty Finland
Nov 23, 2023Victoria Memorial, Kolkata, India
Jul 10, 2024Collared aracari
Nimble and stealthy
A glowing square of squares
Alps of the sea
Apr 4, 2025Humayuns Tomb, Delhi
May 24, 2026European Day of Parks
Nature’s blue wonder
Preserving Alaskas natural beauty
Jul 28, 2026World Nature Conservation Day
Mar 21, 2024International Day of Forests
Oct 4, 2024World Space Week begins
Jun 4, 2024Chestnut-headed bee-eater, Bardia National Park, Nepal
May 12, 2026Atlantic puffins, Wales
Mar 29, 2025Superbloom in Carrizo Plain National Monument, California, United States
Feb 4, 2024Devetashka Cave, Devetaki, Bulgaria
Let there be lights!
Sep 5, 20242024 Toronto International Film Festival
Oct 5, 2025Jahangir Mahal, Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
This lesson is going swimmingly
Mar 6, 2024Wahclella Falls, Oregon, USA
103 years of Zion
A cantilevered window to the past
Nov 21, 2024Lion cubs, South Africa
Stripes in sight
Dec 6, 2025Everglades National Park, Florida, United States